Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for producing instant fried noodles and a frying treatment device for performing a frying treatment in a frying process of the instant fried noodles.
Background Information
Instant fried noodles (fried noodles) are produced by putting noodle strings thereof gelatinized by steaming or boiling in a plurality of retainers and then dipping the noodle strings in a high-temperature fry tank in which oil is put to fry drying the noodle strings. Subsequently, the noodle strings of the instant fried noodles turn to be porous by such fry drying. Such structures provide superior absorption of hot water and superior instant cooking which makes the noodle strings edible after three minutes from pouring hot water in a cup in the case of cup noodles.
Specifically, referring to a frying treatment process of general instant fried noodles, first of all, noodle strings for one person gelatinizing-treated by steaming or boiling are put in fluid permeable cup-shaped or bowl-shaped retainers to dip the noodle strings into a high-temperature fry tank with a lid closed. Moisture contained in the noodle strings is rapidly discharged by soaking the noodle strings in a high-temperature fry tank so that the noodle strings may turn to be porous. In addition to that, the noodle strings gradually float to a surface of each retainer and become hardened by discharging moisture. When frying is finished, the noodle strings are substantially housed in inside the retainers to be fixed to a noodle lump state with a structure where a noodle lump is dense in an upper side of each retainer and the noodle lump is non-dense in a lower side of each retainer.
On the other hand, in the case of machine production, a plurality of retainers are supported by two endless parallel chains and are conveyed into a fry tank by movements of the two endless chains to fry noodles in the plurality of retainers. Subsequently, the noodles are lifted up from the fry tank by movements of the two chains when moisture contained in noodle strings becomes some %. After lifting up the noodles from the fry tank, for the purpose of oil throwing or the like, noodle lumps are conveyed in a horizontal direction for a while with a cover of each retainer open and subsequently, the noodle lumps in the retainers are discharged as well reversing the retainers upside down, making use of a system configured to invert traveling directions of the chains to be conveyed to a next process with an upper surface of each of the noodle lumps (upper side at the time of frying) down.
A reference numeral 100 indicated in FIG. 13 denotes an example of a conventional frying treatment device configured to perform a frying treatment in this frying treatment process. A frying treatment device 100 comprises: a fry tank 102 for storing oil for frying: two chains (endless winding transmitter) 104 arranged parallel to each other, the two chains passing through the fry tank 102; a plurality of shafts 106 fixed between the two chains 104; and a plurality of retainers 108 supported by the plurality of shafts 106. According to the frying treatment device 100, a plurality of noodle lumps 110 filled in respective retainers 108 are fried in the fry tank 102 and are then lifted up to an inclined upper direction from the fry tank 102. And the plurality of noodle lumps 110 are conveyed in a horizontal direction for a while and then the plurality of retainers 108 are reversed to drop a noodle lump 110 on a carry-out conveyor 112 so as to be moved to a next step.
A general frying process is mentioned above. In such a method, however, a fry oil considerably remains at a lower side of the noodle lumps (a lower side at the time of frying) and in the case of a vertical-type cup noodle, a content of oil and fat of the noodles contained in the lower side of the noodle lumps is by about 30% to 50% higher than a content of oil and fat contained in an upper side of each of the noodle lumps. Accordingly, non-uniformity of texture and the state of reconstitution caused by the difference of the content of oil and fat were easily generated and the lower side of each of the noodle lumps is sometimes in a color tone which has a wet-like appearance with oil. As a result, there is room to improve quality of the noodle lumps.
In contrast, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 52-154542 and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 60-196160 are respectively known as a method for frying instant fried noodles to maintain a regular content of oil and fat contained in noodle lumps. Such patent publications both aim at evenly frying noodle strings in a plurality of retainers by reversing or rotating the plurality of retainers in a fry tank. However, when rotating the plurality of retainers during a frying treatment, noodle lumps are in the state of a ball-lid state in the retainers, so that the noodle lumps may not be easily fixed in the state of a retainer internal shape. Further, it is not possible to obtain a shape of a noodle lump which is preferable in a cup instant noodle in which an upper part is highly dense and a lower part is coarse. In addition to that, according to the inventors' verification, the content of oil and fat of the whole noodle lumps eventually rises, which is not preferable.